Kids and sports: A parent's guide to youth athletics

Megan Miller

Saturday

Sep 27, 2008 at 12:01 AMSep 27, 2008 at 6:49 PM

As the summer season fades into fall, children begin to enroll in after-school and weekend sports. While many experts encourage young kids to get active at an early age, they also caution parents to watch for signs of overactivity.

As the summer season fades into fall, children begin to enroll in after-school and weekend sports. While many experts encourage young kids to get active at an early age, they also caution parents to watch for signs of overactivity.

Gordie Theisen, a coach and consultant for GT Athletic Consulting & Baseball Instruction in Adrian, Mich., said that in his opinion, there are too many kids playing too many games at too young an age.

At earlier ages, Theisen said, the focus should be on having fun and not on competition.

“Competing isn’t that important,” he said.

The best way to encourage kids is not to play one sport all year round, he said. Children should switch up the sports every season.

“There are so many areas of entertainment, and more and more opportunity to sit stagnant. There are plenty of opportunities for kids to participate and move, and it is up to we parents to make sure it is in our kids’ lives,” said Brian McEwan, a physical therapist at Gary Gray Physical Therapy in Adrian. “It’s an extremely positive thing for young kids to get involved.”

McEwan added that children start getting involved — especially in soccer, gymnastics and swimming — as young as 3 years old. Programs geared toward children younger than 8 years old, he said, should place an emphasis on movement and participation.

Ted Crockett, program director at the YMCA of Lenawee County in Adrian, said that philosophy is what guides the Y’s sports programs. He said although the organization does encourage competition, it also wants to encourage kids to have fun.

“We want them to enjoy what they’re doing because nobody likes to lose,” Crockett said. “They learn how to win and they learn how to lose and everyone has fun.”

Crockett added that everybody plays for the same amount of time, and the best players sit on the bench as much as the worst player.

“We treat everybody the same ... and we try to be fair because you are going to learn more doing something than sitting there watching it,” he said.

Many years ago, McEwan said, Little League baseball was about the only summer sport available for kids, but that’s no longer the case. He said the variety of sports available today gives children the opportunity to participate and compete at their level of comfort.

And, with the options available, it is a good idea for kids to try different sports.

“It’s never too young to start under the right conditions. It’s a great age to start for kids to move,” he said.

Though there are advantages to childhood involvement in sports, including teamwork and developing sports skills for later in life, parents should watch for signs of overdoing it.

Theisen said that in general, the younger a child starts playing at a high intensity level, the earlier he will stop.

If a child is saying he doesn’t want to go to practice, don’t force him or her, Theisen said.

He added that parents should listen to their kids and let the kids be the ones to initiate any sports involvement.

Crockett said there aren’t any disadvantages to playing young as long as kids aren’t forced into anything. He said he doesn’t see a burnout factor because as kids get older, they can drop the sports they aren’t interested in.

Theisen said participation in sports should be about having fun and doing it for yourself, rather than for a coach or parent, and the organization should have the same philosophy as the parent and child.

“When you choose a program, you want to know the philosophy of the program and you want to know its background,” Crockett said.

McEwan agrees that choosing a program should do less with the actual sport and more with the overall well-being of the child. He suggests that parents choose an organization with the philosophy of developing key character traits.

Theisen also cautions parents to not only pay attention to the child’s physical health, but to monitor the mental and emotional health as well.

Sometimes, emotional health is where the burnout occurs, he said.

“It may be paying the price more so than the physical health.”

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